Park service plan calls for more access to Marin public stables on GGNRA land

The public will have more access to Marin equestrian facilities on National Park Service land under a new plan overseeing the operations.

Three Marin stables — the Presidio Riding Club in the Headlands near Rodeo Beach, the Miwok Livery in the Tennessee Valley and the Golden Gate Dairy in Muir Beach — are on federal lands managed by the Golden Gate National Recreation Area. They have been in existence at their current sites before the area became designated as a national park in 1972.

The park service, which has agreements with operators to run the stables, has never developed any formal policies for how the facilities should be run.

That is about to change after the end of the plan process was announced last week.

"This marks the completion of the Marin equestrian plan," said Howard Levitt, park spokesman. "It affirms equestrian use will continue to go on in the park."

The park service provides space and facilities — stalls, riding rings, trailer parking — for various equestrian activities, such as riding lessons and the boarding of horses at the stables.

The sites have up to 80 horses depending on the time of year, about 25 of which are involved in public programs that draw about 1,000 people a year, including many children.

The new plan outlines ways to improve the existing facilities, while keeping the total numbers of horses and stalls unchanged with an eye toward improving visitor access. The park service also wants to promote outreach and get people to the stables who traditionally do not go; the plan calls for better accessibility for disabled users as well.

"The plan emphasizes public programming," said Hilary Hobbs, business management analyst for the park service. "All of the sites will be required to have that. It could be lessons, trail rides or things like equestrian therapy."

That public access will be further defined as potential changes are made to stable operators. Operators of the stables now have month-to-month or yearly agreements, but under its new plan it is seeking 10-year deals.

The long-term commitments will give more incentive for operators to invest in building projects at the stables. That should result in needed newer and improved buildings for the sites, park officials said.

Later this year the park service will put out a call to solicit operators. The existing operators can apply and experience could be a factor in determining who gets a lease, park officials said. Operators should be selected by fall of 2014.

Meanwhile, a fourth stable, the Lower Tennessee Valley stables, which houses National Park Service Park Horse Patrol operations, will be folded into the Presidio Riding Club under the plan.

"It's on a sensitive environmental site, which will be restored," Levitt said.

A public meeting on horse stables on Golden Gate National Recreation Area land will be held from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., Sept. 4. at the Tamalpais Community Center, 203 Marin Ave. in Tam Valley. A presentation is at 5 p.m.